Method and system for disposing of discarded items

ABSTRACT

An electronic trash disposal unit comprises a control unit which scans and identifies disposed items to store them in an appropriate recycling bin. The unit is connectable to a communication network which updates a central database with the contents of each unit. The unit initiates a reorder instruction to suppliers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a trash disposal system and method, andin particular, to an electronic trash disposal system and method whichautomatically facilitates the reordering and recycling of disposeditems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disposal of trash has been an issue humans have had to deal with sincethe beginning of civilization. Often when trash became a problem, peoplewould simply cover over the trash with dirt and build on top of therubble. Countless plagues have been associated with improper refusedisposal and, although modem technology has helped society deal withwaste disposal, the challenge remains to handle discarded itemsefficiently and safely.

Because of the world's expanding population, the age-old solution ofburying trash is becoming less attractive for many reasons includinglimited space and contamination of the environment, to name a few. In aneffort to help alleviate some of the problems associated with discards,recycling has been gaining in popularity. Although recycling helps bothby reducing the overall amount of trash and by making more efficient useof natural resources, it generally requires more processing includingseparating different kinds of recyclable articles from the generalrefuse. Consumers often regard the extra effort and/or cost associatedwith recycling less than favorably.

Another consideration of modem trash disposal is that when an item isdiscarded, it often needs to be replaced. Generally, this requires ahuman operator to take action to ensure that the required item isreplaced.

A trash disposal system is needed which can track the disposal of itemsand automatically reorder required items that have been discarded aswell as help alleviate some of the perceived shortcomings of recycling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic discardunit which includes a central processing unit (CPU), an identificationdatabase accessible by the CPU, a content database accessible by theCPU, at least one input device coupled to the CPU. The CPU executesprogrammatic software to perform functions including:

1. using the at least one input device to obtain a code corresponding toa discarded item;

2. identifying the discarded item by referring to the identificationdatabase;

3. updating the content database to include an entry corresponding tothe identified discarded item; and

4. generating a re-order instruction for replacing the discarded item.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a trash receivingunit which includes a holding container and a computer operably coupledto the holding container. The computer has a central processing unit, atleast one user operable input device and a content database which isaccessible by the computer. The computer is operable to executeprogrammatic software instructions to perform the functions of:

1. updating the content database with information regarding a trash itemstored the holding container;

2. receiving input from at least one user operable input device, thereceived input includes an instruction to reorder the trash item; and

3. generating a re-order instruction corresponding to the trash item inthe holding container.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides an electronictrash system which includes one or more electronic discard units. Eachunit includes a central processing unit (CPU), an identificationdatabase accessible by the CPU, a content database accessible by the CPUand at least one input device coupled to the CPU. The CPU executesprogrammatic software that perform functions including:

1. using at least one input device to obtain a code corresponding to adiscarded item;

2. identifying the discarded item by referring to the identificationdatabase;

3. updating the content database to include an entry corresponding tothe identified discarded item; and

4. generating a re-order instruction for replacing the discarded item.

The system also includes a central database and a communicationnetworked that couples one or more of the electronic discard units tothe central database.

Yet a further embodiment of the present invention provides anelectronically activated disposal unit which includes a storagecontainer having an opening, an input device operatively coupled to theopening for identifying a discarded item passing through the opening anda computer operatively coupled to the input device. The computerexecutes a program that performs the functions of:

1. receiving a code corresponding to the discarded item from the inputdevice;

2. identifying the discarded item based on the code;

3. updating a content database with information corresponding to thediscarded item; and

4. generating a re-order instruction for a selected discarded item.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides a trash disposalsystem which includes a storage container, a means for identifying anitem placed in the storage container, a means for separating identifieditems according to one or more recycling rules; and a means forre-ordering the identified discarded item.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method ofdisposing of an item using an electronic trash unit which has a storagebin includes scanning the item for a machine readable code. The machinereadable code is stored in an electronic storage medium. A re-orderinstruction is generated for the item based on the machine readablecode. The item is stored in the storage bin, and a content database isupdated with information regarding the item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention, and theattendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of an electronic trash unit according toan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the control panel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the back of the control panel shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the internal components of the control panelaccording to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic trash network according to anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a detailed process of disposing of trashaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic trash (e-trash) unit is showngenerally as 10 and includes a storage area 120, a controllable lid 110which is moveably connected to cover the storage area 120 and a controlpanel 100 which is positioned on top of the controllable lid 110.Storage area 120 can take the form of any suitable shape (i.e.,cylindrical, rectangular, square, etc.). In the embodiment shown, trashis deposited in the proper container using gravity. As illustrated, thecontrollable lid 110 contains four separate openings 112, 113, 114 and115 and four separate storage bins 112 a, 113 a, 114 a and 15 a whichcorrespond to the openings, respectively. In the closed position, theseopenings work together to provide a temporary holding shelf where atrash item to be discarded (not shown) may be placed. The trash item tobe discarded is placed so that a scanning device 140 located on thecontrol panel 100 can electronically read a code such as a bar codelocated on the trash item. The trash item is identified and the properopening is activated allowing the trash item placed on the controllablelid 110 to fall into the proper storage bin (112 a, 113 a, 114 a and 115a) in storage area 120. The storage bins (112 a, 113 a, 114 a and 115 a)as well as the storage area 120 may be constructed of metal andfabricated using known methods of construction, or may be constructedout of a polymer or composite material. Each of the storage bins (112 a,113 a, 114 a and 115 a) may contain a removable liner (not shown) tofacilitate emptying of the unit 10. The liner may be disposable andremain with the discarded trash or it may be a reusable liner that maybe emptied into a larger depository and returned to the unit 10. Theliners may be made in different colors to indicate the kind ofrecyclables present therein. It should be apparent to those skilled inthe art that other means of sorting and storing trash would be suitableand are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure such asusing a conveyor belt system to transport the trash items identified inthe manner disclosed above to the storage area 120. Also, although fouropenings are shown (112, 113, 114 and 115), more or fewer openings maybe utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The control panel 100 is described with reference to FIGS. 2-4. Asshown, the control panel 100 is arranged to provide an easy to operateuser interface for the e-trash unit 10. The control panel 100 includesan information display 130 which displays information about the trashitem discarded in accordance with the present invention. Examples of thekind of information displayable include detailed descriptions about theitem, cost to replace the item, title of the item, identification code,product advertisement, as well as other information that might be usefulto the user. The displayed information may be customized to suit theindividual needs of the user. The displayable information may be storedin a database that resides within the unit 10 or may be accessed from aremote database using a communication network such as the Internet.

Although the display 130 is depicted as a visual display, it is withinthe scope of this disclosure to use any suitable means to communicatethe desired information to the user such as a speech synthesis outputdevice.

In an embodiment of the invention, a discard button 125 is used toinitiate the control command that scans the trash item. Other methodscould be used such as a pressure activated switch located on thecontrollable lid 110 that automatically starts the process when thetrash item is placed thereon. Other user functions may be incorporatedas needed and are representatively illustrated as button 126. Button 126may be a software programable button which is user configured tocustomize the unit 10 or it may be a function specific input such as anover-ride switch. A bar code scanner 140 is positioned to scan the trashitem placed on the controllable lid 110 to identify the item using amachine scan-able code affixed thereon. The code may be affixed from themanufacturer or it may be applied by the user of the present invention.Other electronic means of item identification may be used such asoptical laser scanners or magnetically encoded labels as is known in theart to identify the trash item and are included in this disclosure.

The control unit 100 may also have a variety of interface components asneeded by particular applications. In an embodiment, the control unit100 includes a keyboard port 240, a serial port 230 a phone line adaptor220 and a network adaptor such as an Ethernet adaptor 210. A keyboard(not shown) may be used to enter alphanumeric information into thecontrol unit 100 such as item codes or discard instructions. The serialport 230 may be used to connect a variety of external peripherals suchas but not limited to personal digital assistant (PDA), printers, backupdrives, etc. Such devices are known in the art and the present inventionallows users to utilize appropriate technology to interface with thecontrol unit 100 to best suit the need of the user. For example, a tapebackup drive can be plugged in to the serial port 230 to make a nightlybackup of the day's activity of the unit 10 or a user might connect aPDA to the control unit 100 using the appropriate interface (i.e. serialport 230 or network adaptor 210, etc.) for downloading the contents ofthe unit 10 into the PDA. Other configurations are possible depending onthe particular needs of the user and may include universal serial bus(USB) ports, pointing device inputs among other input/output interfacesas are known in the art. In addition to standard telephone inputs suchas the phone line adaptor 220, a wireless communication link may be usedto communicate with a communications network (i.e. the Internet) usingan antenna 200. The antenna 200 may also be placed inside the controlunit 100. A power button 250 is provided to control power to theelectronics included in the control unit 100.

Internal to the control unit 100 is a CPU 400, associated memory andother components which allow the CPU 400 to operate as a computer as isknown in the art. The CPU 400 controls the function of the scanner 140,the display 130 and the controllable lid 110. The CPU may be permanentlyconnected to a communications network or may initiate a connection asneeded. The connectivity of the unit 10 will be discussed in more detailbelow.

Now referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, a communication network 730 such asthe Internet is used to provide connectivity of each unit 10 with acentral database 720 that keeps track of the disposed contents in eachunit 10. The communication network 730 may be accessed using the networkadaptor 210 or by connecting the control unit 100 to a modem (not shown)using the phone line adaptor 220 or through a wireless connection usingan internal modem (not shown) coupled to the antenna 200 as is known inthe art. Permanent “always on” connections such as digital subscriberline (DSL), T1, satellite links, cable hookups, dial-up modems pluggedinto a phone line or networked connections such as local or wide areanetworks (LAN or WAN) may be utilized to provide the neededconnectivity. Suppliers, market researchers, recycling companies andother interested parties 700 also connect using the communicationnetwork 730 to access information contained in the central database 720.Each e-trash unit 10 sends its information which includes the type andamount of trash stored in each bin (112 a, 113 a, 114 a and 115 a).Either the user or a third party contractor 700 may be notified when itis time to empty the bins by a message being transmitted from thecentral database 720 using the communication network 730 or the user maybe notified of the need to empty the bins by a notification messageappearing on the information display 130 located on the control unit100. Other methods of notification, such as an indicator light (notshown) mounted on the control unit 100 or on the controllable lid 110can be used. In the embodiment which relies on notification from thecentral database 720 to inform the interested party (either the user orthird party contractor such as a recycling company) of the need to emptythe bin, a communication (such as an e-mail, telephone or data message)may be sent back to the CPU 400 in the control unit 100. The informationmay be displayed on the information display 130. The choice of themethod used to deliver emptying instructions may be selected by the userto best suit the application.

In operation, the trash item is temporarily placed on the controllablelid 110 so that the bar code reader 140 can scan the item for anidentification code. Most products today have a scanable code affixedthereon but the process for dealing with code-less and unrecognizableitems is discussed below. The bar code reader 140 identifies thediscarded item by referring to an identification database (not shown)which is accessible by the CPU 400. The identification database canphysically reside within the e-trash unit 10 or it may be accessible bythe CPU 400 through the communication network 730. A user presses thediscard button 125 to initiate the process of scanning and identifyingthe item. Once the item is identified, the relevant information isdisplayed on display 130 such as a description, title, reorder code orprice of the replacement. If the user wishes to reorder the item beingdiscarded, an order is initiated in accordance to predefined orderinginstructions. The reordering process can take place automatically, thatis whenever a recognized item is disposed using the unit 10, the CPUgenerates and transmits a reorder instruction to a selected supplier. Inthis way, reordering is automatically accomplished using the presentinvention.

In another embodiment, the user is given the opportunity to confirm thedesire to reorder the discarded item. The user's choice may be inputtedinto the control unit 100 using any suitable input method such aspressing the “soft button” 126 when instructed to do so by aninstruction displayed on the information display 130, pressing a key ona keyboard (not shown) or by speaking if a voice recognition input isimplemented as is known in the art. In one embodiment, the unit 10transmits information regarding a discarded item being disposed of in aunit 10 to a central reordering site such as a purchasing officer'sworkstation (not shown) and allows the reordering decisions to becentralized rather than individually made at the local unit 10 level.Once an identification is made, the proper storage bin (112 a, 113 a,114 a or 115 a) is selected to store the item. The proper bin opening(112, 113, 114 or 115) is opened and the item falls into the selectedstorage bin. The central database 720 is informed of the location of thetrash item. The proper storage bin is selected according to recyclingguidelines which can be customized depending on the geographic locationof the user and the recycling options available. Examples include of asimple recycling scheme would include separating the trash into glass,plastic, metal and all else. A more elaborate scheme may be used to suitthe individual needs of the user such as separating different colorglass or different kinds of plastic, etc.

Some items like discarded organic or packing materials are notidentifiable by the unit 10 and the user may simply wish to discard themwithout identifying or reordering. They may be simply discarded using abypass means such as by pressing the “soft button” 126 if the button isso programmed. Of course any other input means to indicate the discardchoice would be acceptable as discussed above. Non-recyclable items maybe stored in an appropriate bin. Items that are recyclable but notreordered are still identified so as to be placed in the proper bin andto update the central database 720 with the contents of the unit 10.

The initial programming of the unit 10 is provided by the manufacturerof the unit 10. The manufacturer may offer different options such aproviding a unit 10 that only has a wireless interface for connectingwith the communication network 730 or may provide a “standard” unit 10that includes most of the common options with the user using the unit 10in a way that makes sense in the context of the user's application.Another embodiment includes a user programable unit 10 that may becustomized by the user. It is anticipated that an operating system wouldbe built into the CPU 400 along with a user specific program interfacethat would allow the user to select various options from a menupresented. In another embodiment, a large user of the present inventioncould specify the functionality desired and the manufacturer wouldprogram the specific requirements into the individual units 10. Someunits 10 could be programmed to meet different needs (i.e. some units 10may have a voice recognition input while others use a keyboard) and yetcommunicate and work together over the communication network 730 toperform the required functions as a whole

A method of the use an apparatus of one or units 10 is described withreference to FIG. 6, a flow chart of the method of disposing of trashaccording to the present invention. Initially, a trash item is placed oncontrollable lid 110 (step S-100). The user is presented with a bypass(step S-105) to deal with the case of unidentifiable or non-scannableitems. Items selected for bypass are simply discarded (step S-110).Items so discarded are placed in a general storage bin. If the bypass(step S-105) is not selected, the item is scanned to see if a code isdetectable (step S-115). If no code is found, the user is given anopportunity to manually input a code (step S-120). If the item code islocated (step S-115) or manually inputted (step S-120), the code may bemanually inputted using a suitable input device such as voicerecognition or keyboard as discussed above), the code is compared usingan identification database (step S-125). If a matching code is found inthe database, information such as title, price to replace or reorderingcode, etc. is displayed on the display 140 (step S-140) allowing theuser to decide whether or not to replace and reorder the item (stepS-145). If no matching code is found (step S-125), the unit mayoptionally search using the communication network 730 (step S-130) and,if found, the information is displayed as discussed above. If no code islocated (step S-135), the user is still given the opportunity to reorderthe item (step S-145), however, no information will be displayed and acode will have to be manually entered if not previously done (stepsS-150 and S-155). A reorder instruction is generated and transmitted tothe proper supplier (step S-160). The reorder instruction is generatedby the CPU 400 according to the programming provided and customized bythe user as discussed above. The reorder instruction may be printed outand sent by mail to a supplier may be transmitted electronically to thesupplier. Next, the proper bin opening (112, 113, 114 or 115) isselected (step S-165) and the content database is updated to keep arecord of the items stored therein (step S-170). As discussed above, theproper bin is selected by referring to the local recycling rulesprogrammed into the CPU 400 or by the generic rules programmed by themanufacturer.

Users of the e-trash units 10 may customize each unit to meet specificneeds of the user. Examples of the preferences users may specify includereordering periods such as weekly, monthly or when the total value ofthe reorder equals or exceeds a certain level. Other customizablepreferences include which supplier or suppliers to use which may befurther customized by best price, specific supplier for a specificconsumable, method of payments such as credit card, billing, check etc.,which recycling company or companies to use, etc. Because the e-trashunits 10 are customizable, the user experiences great flexibility whenimplementing the present invention. The user benefits by using thee-trash units 10 by allowing automated replacement of consumables andautomated separation of recyclable materials. Because the use of e-trashunits 10 reorders consumables as specified by the user, inventories maybe reduced leading to enhanced productivity on the part of the user. Ifthe e-trash units 10 are used in a home setting, the user spends lesstime in the supermarket since a list of used consumables is constantlyavailable. The “grocery list” can be generated by the e-trash unit 10.Additionally, because of the ease and automated handling of recyclables,the user may be able to benefit financially from the resale of therecycling materials sorted by the unit 10. Also, all of the system andtransaction information, such as reordering period, reordering levels,suppliers, billing information, order history, order status, useraccount information, recycling options, credits and the like, can bemade available to users over the Internet.

The role of the central database 720 in the function of the e-trashunits 10 is to store detailed lists of the contents of each unit 10linked to the database 720. Additionally, the central database 720stores the user preferences discussed above such as how often toreorder, who to reorder from, the best price to pay, etc. Also, thecentral database functions to authorize credit transactions betweenusers, suppliers and other third parties such as recycling and marketresearch companies. The central database may also send confirmations oforders or emptying instructions as discussed above. These instructionsand confirmations can be sent by e-mail, “regular mail” or fax. Anotherrole of the central database 720 is that of statistic gatherer enablingthe user to better anticipate their future needs and trends.

Suppliers who participate in the present invention benefit by receivingautomatic reorders which enhances customer loyalty. Credit may bepreauthorized reducing the risk of write-offs. Suppliers also benefit bythe statistical data generated by the central database 720 which allowsthe supplier to reduce the inventory required to meet the customer'sneeds. Written confirmations of orders are sent by the central database720 providing a written contract to facilitate good business relations.

Participating recycling companies benefit by having a steady source ofseparated recyclables without having to deal with intermediaries whichdrives up the cost. Credits for materials received from users can becredited through the central database 10, thereby streamliningoperations. Additionally, many users will wish to contract with therecycling companies directly to empty the units 10 automatically,thereby increasing revenues for the recycling companies.

Other third parties such as marketing research companies benefit byhaving a detailed list of the disposed items in each unit 10. This willallow research into ways to decrease supplier and user waste and tostudy consumer behavior. Additionally, research may be done on ways todevelop more environmental packaging, especially in regard to highvolume items as identified by the present invention.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited to what has been particularly shown anddescribed herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above tothe contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawingsare not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possiblein light of the above teachings without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic discard unit comprising: a centralprocessing unit (CPU); an identification database accessible by the CPU;a content database accessible by the CPU; at least one input devicecoupled to the CPU; the CPU executing programmatic software to performfunctions including: using the at least one input device to obtain acode corresponding to a discarded item; identifying the discarded itemby referring to the identification database, and if a match is not foundwithin the identification database, by searching over a computer networkfor a match; updating the content database to include an entrycorresponding to the identified discarded item; generating a re-orderinstruction for replacing the discarded item; and a pressure sensorthat, at least partly in response to pressure from the discarded item,causes the identification of the discarded item.
 2. An electronicdiscard unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage chamberfor storing a discarded item therein; and a controller, the controllercoupled to the CPU and controlling access to the storage chamber.
 3. Anelectronic discard unit according to claim 1, further comprising: atleast two storage chambers for storing a discarded item therein; and acontroller, the controller being coupled to the CPU and controllingaccess to each of the at least two storage chambers.
 4. An electronicdiscard unit according to claim 3, wherein the CPU executes programmaticsoftware to further perform the function of updating the contentdatabase to include the selected storage chamber of the discarded item.5. An electronic discard unit according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone input device includes a bar code scanner.
 6. An electronic discardunit according to claim 3, wherein the means for controlling access toeach of the at least two storage chambers includes a computer operatedaccess port disposed at an opening of each of the at least two storagechambers.
 7. An electronic discard unit according to claim 1, furthercomprising a network adaptor electrically coupling the CPU to acommunication network.
 8. An electronic discard unit according to claim7, wherein the CPU executes programmatic software to further perform thefunction of transmitting the re-order instruction to a supplier usingthe communication network.
 9. An electronic discard unit according toclaim 8, wherein the CPU executes programmatic software to furtherperform the function of confirming to a user of the electronic discardunit that the re-order instruction was processed.
 10. The electronicdiscard unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a user operatedbypass control which causes at least one discarded item to be depositedin a first receptacle without reference to the at least one discardeditem identification code; a stored user preference readable by the CPUthat includes a preference related to shopping delivery timing andidentifying a preferred supplier; a closure mechanism that supports thediscarded item while the at least one input device obtains the codecorresponding to the discarded item and that opens after the at leastone input device obtains the code; and a display, wherein the CPUexecutes programmatic software to perform the function of displaying aprice of the discarded item on the display.
 11. The electronic discardunit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a user operated bypasscontrol which causes at least one discarded item to be deposited in afirst receptacle without reference to the at least one discarded itemidentification code.
 12. The electronic discard unit as defined in claim1, further comprising a stored user preference readable by the CPU whichincludes a value related to shopping delivery timing.
 13. The electronicdiscard unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising a stored userpreference readable by the CPU which includes data identifying apreferred supplier.
 14. The electronic discard unit as defined in claim1, further comprising a closure mechanism that supports the discardeditem while the at least one input device obtains the code correspondingto the discarded item and that opens after the at least one input deviceobtains the code.
 15. The electronic discard unit as defined in claim 1,further comprising: a display; and software that performs the functionof displaying a price of the discarded item.
 16. A method of disposingof an item using an electronic trash unit having a storage bincomprising; sensing pressure caused by placement of the item on a coverfor the storage bin; initiating the scanning of the item at least partlyin response to the sensed pressure: scanning the item for a machinereadable code; storing the machine readable code in an electronicstorage medium; reading user preference data, including selectioncriteria for determining to which entity a re-order is to be placed;selecting the entity to whom the order is to be placed based at least inpart on the selection criteria; generating a re-order instruction forthe item based on the machine readable code and on user preference data;storing the item in the storage bin; and updating a content databasewith information regarding the item.
 17. The method as defined in claim16, further comprising: determining a price for the item; and displayingthe price on a display mounted on the electronic trash unit.
 18. Themethod as defined in claim 16, further comprising: receiving a usergenerated bypass command; and causing a second item to be stored in asecond storage bin in response to the bypass command.
 19. The method asdefined in claim 16, further comprising: scanning a second item for asecond machine readable code; determining that the second machinereadable code is unavailable; informing a user of the unavailability ofthe second machine readable code; and receiving a code corresponding tothe second item from the user.
 20. The method as defined in claim 16,further comprising attempting to identify the first item by referring toa local database, and if the attempted identification fails, attemptingto identify the first item by searching over a computer network.
 21. Themethod as defined in claim 16, wherein the selection criteria includesprice.